PRO BASKETBALL; Players Seek To Give, and Receive, Too

A group of elite professional players and super-agents gathered in an opulent Manhattan meeting room yesterday to discuss the object of their announced relief effort: the needy and disadvantaged.

But their remarks had less to do with Unicef than their own plight. The stars and agents continued a pattern of public missteps by discussing the desperate state of some National Basketball Association players who have become financially strapped during the five-month lockout.

Blurring the definition of needy, the agents David Falk and Arn Tellem announced that a group of Olympic Dream Team members -- with the notable exception of Michael Jordan -- will ask fans to pay $1,000 for courtside seats when they converge on Atlantic City on Dec. 19 for a game to benefit two charities: Unicef and cash-poor N.B.A. players.

Although the game's participants, like Patrick Ewing, will not be paid for their appearance, part of the net proceeds will be set aside in a trust fund for N.B.A. players in need. Not only is the fund aimed at those making the minimum $275,000, but financial support could also go to players who have made millions but have failed to save their fortunes.

''If you look at the majority of people playing professional sports, after they finish playing, there are not a lot of them financially secure,'' Ewing, the union's president, said. ''They make a lot of money, but they also spend a lot of money.''

Fans may not be sympathetic, but players argue that there is more to their expenses than fancy cars. There are costs that extend beyond themselves. As Karl Malone put it, ''I have 26 nieces and nephews, and Uncle Karl is Santa Claus all the time, whether there is a lockout or not; and that's just the reality of it.''

The reality is, some players did not prepare for a long lockout. Few believed that the labor dispute, which is centered on how owners and players should divide $2 billion in annual revenues, would last long enough to jeopardize the season. Perhaps within the next two weeks, the league could decide to cancel the season. With no new meetings scheduled, the situation appears bleak.

That's why many will be looking to see if the game in Atlantic City is a success or a failure financially.

''I think if it does go off the way we think it will go off, I'm sure the owners will show some concern,'' Glen Rice said. ''I know I would.''

If the game is a hit, that will mean a feather in the caps of Falk and Tellem. Both agents have talked about the potential of a new league if the season is canceled. To many, this game is a trial balloon to that end.

''If the opportunity presents itself for a new league, at some point, if the lockout continues and the season is ultimately canceled, that's going to have to be considered,'' Tellem said. ''At this point, the focus of this announcement is that this game is to help players who need help, and it's also to give basketball to the fans and to help charities such as Unicef.''

Organizers of the event expect to generate at least $1 million in proceeds, with a projected $100,000 to $200,000 going to Unicef and a remaining portion of the net proceeds going to the player fund. So far, 13 players are committed to play. A total of 16 players are expected to participate from the four Dream Teams: the 1992 and 1996 Olympic teams and the 1994 and 1998 world championship teams.

The game will be played in the 17,000-seat convention center. Although ticket prices will range from $25 to $1,000 for courtside seats, there will be no view of Jordan on the court. Curtis Polk, who works with Jordan's agent, Falk, said Jordan declined to participate because he did not want to send ''a mixed message to fans.''

''Michael feels that he needs to stand by his earlier statements that he's still deliberating on whether he wants to come back and play or not,'' Polk said. ''He wants to see a resolution of the lockout before he makes that decision.''

Jordan would have been the main draw for the charity event. As it is, fans will most likely see a dunk-fest played with lots of offense and little defense: typical all-star game. Thus far, fans have shown little interest in organized exhibition games. A game in Miami on Friday drew just 2,000, providing another example of fan apathy during the lockout. ''Fans get to vote on that question Dec. 19 by showing up at Atlantic City and by watching the game on Showtime,'' Falk said. ''Clearly, there are a lot of reports that there is a certain amount of malaise in basketball.''

Fans have said they are turned off by the bickering between wealthy players and rich owners. Whether they will turn out to support Unicef and cash-strapped players remains to be seen. In essence, the paying public could end up supplementing players in need. If players prove this to a panel of union members and executives that is expected to be established to review each case, help could be on the way for them.

''People make bad judgments, bad investments and things like that,'' Rice said. ''And you have guys who are young who make bad decisions.

''I don't think we want them to think that we're bailing them out. People make mistakes. I think a lot of guys have learned from the lockout. A lot of guys are sitting around now not doing anything, and this is what it's going to be like after you hang your shoes up. You'd better have something set aside for yourself and family.''

As polls have shown, fans have little sympathy for players who make more in a year than they do in a lifetime.

''We're not asking for sympathy,'' Mourning said. ''We're asking you all to understand our situation.''